Stroke

Overview

A stroke is a medical emergency. Strokes happen when blood flow to your brain stops. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two kinds of stroke. The more common kind, called ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. The other kind, called hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain. "Mini-strokes," or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), occur when the blood supply to the brain is briefly interrupted.

Symptoms of stroke are

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side of the body)

Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech

Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

Sudden dizziness, difficulty walking, loss of balance or coordination

Sudden severe headache with no known cause

If you have any of these symptoms, you must get to a hospital quickly to begin treatment. Acute stroke therapies try to stop a stroke while it is happening by quickly dissolving the blood clot or by stopping the bleeding. Post-stroke rehabilitation helps individuals overcome disabilities that result from stroke damage. Drug therapy with blood thinners is the most common treatment for stroke.

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Recommended Reading

The American Stroke Association is a national voluntary health organization whose mission is to reduce disability and death from stroke. This link provides in-depth information on causes and prevention of stroke.